JP2007286802A - Medical image processing apparatus and program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a medical image processing apparatus that can receive medical image data at each unit in conformity with the state of the transmission of data at each medical image generator. <P>SOLUTION: A CPU 10 stores a timeout time at each reception channel which is set by an input unit 20 operated by a user in a timeout management table 73. Whenever receiving the medical image data, the CPU 10 updates the last receiving time received which is associated with the reception channel with a current time 62. Subsequently, the CPU 10 successively determines whether the difference between the last receiving time and the current time exceeds the timeout time. When it is determined that the difference has exceeded the timeout time, it is determined that the medical image data for one examination have been received at the reception channel which is determined to have exceeded the timeout time, and the CPU 10 stores the medical image data D3 which are stored in a reception standby list table 71 and associated with the reception channel in an image examination standby list table 72. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a medical image processing apparatus and a program that receive and store medical image data from a plurality of medical image generation apparatuses.

  Various medical images such as CT (Computed Tomography), CR (Computed Radiography), MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging), mammography device, ultrasound diagnostic device, etc. that image the human body and generate medical image data including the image of the subject Generation devices (hereinafter referred to as “modalities”) tend to be integrated into various systems.

  Specifically, order information including patient information and examination information is transmitted from HIS (Hospital Information System) and RIS (Radiological Information System), and the modality is ordered according to the operation of the radiographer. Shoot based on information. Then, after generating medical image data including an image obtained by the imaging in a data format based on, for example, DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine) standard, PACS (Picture Archiving and Communication System: image storage management system) ).

  The radiographer must have taken images according to the order information before transferring the medical image data, whether the order of the medical images is appropriate, whether the medical image has a quality suitable for diagnosis, or is included in the medical image data It is necessary to check and confirm in advance whether the various information is correct. In view of this, the medical image data is confirmed and corrected before the transfer of the medical image data to the PACS (hereinafter, the act of checking and correcting the medical image data is referred to as “image inspection”). There is a demand for practical use of an imaging device.

  The imaging device receives the order information transmitted from the HIS or RIS and the medical image data transmitted from the modality, displays the order information and the medical image data, and the radiographer visually checks these data. This is a medical image display device for checking and correcting / adjusting.

  In medical imaging, tomographic images of the same examination site are taken continuously, multiple modalities are used for the same examination site, or contrast agents are used and imaging methods are changed. Therefore, a lot of medical image data is generated in one examination. A unit of a series of medical image data taken with the same type of modality generated in one examination is called a series.

  When a plurality of medical images are taken for each unit, it is desirable to perform image inspection for each unit in order to check the order of medical images and the consistency of various types of information. For this reason, the image inspection apparatus side needs to determine whether or not the reception of the medical image data in the examination unit transmitted from the modality is completed. For the determination of the completion of reception, a method is used in which a timeout is determined from the time elapsed since the last medical image data was received.

Also, the end of the inspection is determined based on the information on the total number of reserved imaging images for one examination input on the modality side included in the received image file and the information on the number of images taken in the one examination. A technique for doing this is also known (see Patent Document 1).
JP 2002-288344 A

  However, in the case of determining the completion of reception for one examination by the method of Patent Document 1, only with a specific modality capable of inputting information on the number of reserved imaging images and information on what image is captured. It cannot respond and lacks versatility. For this reason, when determining completion of reception with respect to various modalities, it is conceivable to perform determination based on the timeout as described above.

  However, the transmission status of medical image data by modality is various. That is, for example, in the case of CT, since tomographic images are taken continuously, medical image data is transmitted at intervals of several seconds. However, in the case of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus or the like, medical images are intermittently about every few minutes. In some cases, such as when data is transmitted, the time interval of medical image data transmitted to the imaging apparatus differs depending on the modality. Therefore, in an environment where a plurality of modalities are connected when the time-out determination time is simply set to a constant value, the situation is inconvenient and inconvenient.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a medical image capable of receiving medical image data for each unit in accordance with the data transmission status for each medical image generation apparatus. It is to realize a processing device.

In order to solve the above problems, a medical image processing apparatus according to claim 1 is provided.
A plurality of receiving means for receiving medical image data from a plurality of medical image generating devices;
Setting means for setting a timeout time for each of the plurality of receiving means;
Each of the plurality of receiving means measures time elapsed after receiving the medical image data;
Determining means for determining whether or not each elapsed time for each of the receiving means timed by the time measuring means has exceeded a timeout time set for each of the receiving means by the setting means;
A storage control means for grouping and storing the medical image data received by the receiving means determined to have exceeded the timeout time when the determination means determines that the timeout time has been exceeded;
It is characterized by having.

The invention according to claim 2 is the invention according to claim 1,
The setting means includes
A time-out period input by a user operation is set for each of the plurality of receiving means.

The invention according to claim 3 is the invention according to claim 1,
The setting means includes
A time-out period for each of the plurality of receiving means is set based on incidental information included in the medical image data received by the receiving means.

The program according to claim 4 is a computer,
A plurality of receiving means for receiving medical image data from a plurality of medical image generating devices;
Setting means for setting a timeout time for each of the plurality of receiving means;
Each of the plurality of receiving means measures time elapsed since receiving the medical image data;
Determining means for determining whether or not each elapsed time for each receiving means timed by the time measuring means exceeds a time-out time set for each receiving means by the setting means;
A storage control means for grouping and storing the medical image data received by the receiving means determined to have exceeded the timeout time when the determination means determines that the timeout time has been exceeded;
It is characterized by making it function as.

  According to the first and fourth aspects of the present invention, when it is determined that the elapsed time since each of the plurality of receiving means has received the medical image data exceeds the set timeout time, the timeout time is The medical image data received up to the determination by the excess receiving means is grouped and stored.

  For this reason, a timeout time can be set for each of a plurality of medical image generation apparatuses. Therefore, it is possible to realize a medical image processing apparatus that can perform reception according to the transmission status of data unique to the medical image generation apparatus. In addition, since medical image data received by the receiving means determined to have exceeded the timeout time is stored in groups, the medical image data can be referred to in units of groups, and image inspections in units such as examination units and series units can be quickly performed. Can be done.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, it is possible to obtain the same effect as that of the first aspect of the invention, and in order to set the time-out time input by the user operation, a plurality of medical image generation apparatuses are provided. A desired timeout time can be set for each time.

  According to the third aspect of the present invention, it is possible to obtain the same effect as the first aspect of the invention, and in order to set the timeout time based on the incidental information included in the medical image data, It is possible to set an appropriate timeout time for each generation of a medical image for transmitting the medical image data.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment when the medical image display apparatus of the present invention is applied to the imaging apparatus 1 of FIG. 1 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[Outline of Radiology System]
First, the outline of the radiology system S having the imaging device 1 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a system configuration of the radiology system S. According to FIG. 1, the radiology system S includes an imaging apparatus 1, a RIS 2, a modality M (M 1, M 2, M 3, M 4), a viewer 3, an imager 4, and a PACS 5 connected to a communication network N 2. Each is configured to be capable of data communication. The RIS 2 is configured to be able to perform data communication with the HIS 6 via the hospital network N 1.

  The HIS (Hospital Information System) 6 is composed of a computer having a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a storage unit, an input unit, a display unit, a communication unit, etc., medical office accounting, medical appointment reservation, electronic medical record management, examination, and medicine This is an ordering system that comprehensively manages hospital information such as ordering to each department.

  The HIS 6 receives an imaging request in the radiology system S from a doctor and generates order information D1 including the contents of the imaging request. And the order information D1 is transmitted to RIS2 via the hospital network N1. The order information D1 includes patient information such as the name and ID of the patient to be photographed, sex, etc., examination information for identifying the examination ordered by the doctor, examination information such as examination site, imaging direction and posture, and modality M of the imaging Data including the type.

  The RIS (Radiation Information System) 2 is composed of a computer having a CPU, a storage unit, an input unit, a display unit, a communication unit, and the like. Is an ordering system that manages information in the radiology system S in an integrated manner. The RIS 2 receives the order information D 1 transmitted from the HIS 6, discriminates the modality to be photographed based on the order information D 1, and transmits the order information D 1 to the modality M. In addition, the same order information D1 is transmitted to the imaging device 1 together with the transmission of the order information D1 to the modality M.

  Modality M (M1, M2, M3, M4) is a CT, CR, MRI, mammography device, ultrasound diagnostic device, etc., and the data signal of the image obtained by photographing according to the operation of the photographing engineer is in DICOM standard. The medical image data D3 is generated by converting the digital data to the digital data conforming to the above. The modality M transmits the generated medical image data D3 to the imaging device 1.

  For example, the CR irradiates a subject with radiation and causes the plate-like stimulable phosphor to absorb the radiation transmitted through the subject. Then, by exciting the stimulable phosphor while scanning with laser light, for example, the radiation energy accumulated in the stimulable phosphor is emitted, and the radiation image obtained by photoelectrically converting the emitted light The data signal is digitally converted to generate image data of the subject.

  FIG. 2 shows an example of the data structure of the medical image data D3. According to FIG. 2A, the medical image data D3 includes header information D5 and image data D7 as supplementary information. As shown in FIG. 2B, the header information D5 includes modality information D51, examination information D52, and patient information D53, and is data conforming to the DICOM standard, for example. Note that the header information D5 shown in FIG. 2B is a schematic diagram of main data in this embodiment, and other data is not shown.

  The modality information D51 is data indicating the type of the modality M that generated the image data D7 associated with the header information D5, and is set by the modality M. The examination information D52 is data indicating examination contents, and includes a unique ID assigned to one examination ordered by the doctor from the HIS 6 and the examination date and time. The patient information D53 is data including the name, ID, sex, etc. of the photographed patient. The examination information D52 and the patient information D53 are set based on the order information D1 received from the RIS2.

  The imaging apparatus 1 receives the order information D1 transmitted from the RIS 2 and the medical image data D3 transmitted from the modality M, and accumulates the data in an imaging waiting list table 72 to be described later. Wait for imaging. “Image inspection” refers to whether the order and contents of the order information D1 have been taken, whether the image data D7 has an image quality suitable for diagnosis, whether the order information D1 and the header information D5 are consistent, etc. Is confirmed and corrected before transferring the medical image data D3 to the PACS5. When the imaging engineer examines each medical image data D3, the medical image data D3 is transferred to the PACS 5 in accordance with the operation of the imaging engineer.

  The viewer 3 is a display device that includes an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or the like and displays and outputs a medical image based on the medical image data D3. When medical image data D3 to be reproduced and displayed by an interpretation doctor or the like is designated, the medical image data D3 is read from the PACS 5 and reproduced and displayed.

  The imager 4 is an image forming apparatus that is configured by a film digitizer or the like, and forms and outputs a medical image based on the medical image data D3 on a recording medium. When the medical doctor or the like designates medical image data D3 to form an image, the medical image data D3 is read from the PACS 5, and a medical image is formed on a recording medium such as a heat-sensitive film and output.

  The PACS 5 is a database system that stores and manages medical image data D3 transmitted from medical image generation apparatuses such as CR, CT, and MRI, and performs search and data analysis. The PACS 5 includes a CPU, a storage unit, a communication unit, and the like, and stores the medical image data D3 in, for example, a relational database based on the header information D5 included in the medical image data D3 received from the imaging apparatus 1. I will do it. Then, the medical image data D3 is retrieved using the patient ID, examination ID, and the like designated in accordance with an operation instruction from the interpretation doctor or the like as a retrieval key, and output to the viewer 3 or the imager 4.

[Functional configuration of image inspection device]
Next, the functional configuration of the image inspection apparatus 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of the image inspection device 1. According to FIG. 3, the imaging apparatus 1 includes a CPU 10, an input unit 20, a display unit 30, a communication unit 40, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 50, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 60, and a storage unit. 70.

  The CPU 10 is a control unit that comprehensively manages and controls the imaging device 1 by controlling the operation of each functional unit, controlling data input / output between the functional units, and the like. Specifically, a program stored in the ROM 50 or the storage unit 70 is read according to an operation signal input from the input unit 20, and processing according to the program is executed. Then, based on the processing result, the display screen of the display unit 30 is updated, data is stored in the storage unit 70, data communication with an external device, and the like are performed.

  The input unit 20 includes various key groups such as cursor keys and numeric keys, and a pointing device such as a mouse and a touch panel. The input unit 20 outputs to the CPU 10 an operation signal corresponding to the key pressed by the user and an operation signal corresponding to the coordinate position on the screen designated by the pointing device.

  The display unit 30 is configured by a CRT (Cathode-ray Tube), an LCD, or the like, and performs display of a display screen based on control of the CPU 10, reproduction display of medical image data D3, and the like. The communication unit 40 is configured by a LAN interface or the like, and is a functional unit that performs data communication with external devices such as the RIS2, the modality M, and the PACS5 via the communication network N2.

  The ROM 50 is constituted by a nonvolatile semiconductor memory, and stores an initial program for performing various initial settings, hardware inspection, loading of necessary programs, and the like. The RAM 60 is composed of rewritable semiconductor elements, and temporarily holds various programs executed by the CPU 10, data related to the execution of these programs, and the like. The RAM 60 stores the current time 62 as shown in FIG. The CPU 10 is configured to have a timer function, measures the current time 62, and sequentially updates the RAM 60.

  The storage unit 70 is a functional unit that reads / writes data from / to a magnetic or optical storage medium, and includes an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or the like. According to FIG. 3, the storage unit 70 stores a reception waiting list table 71, an image detection waiting list table 72, and a timeout management table 73.

  The reception waiting list table 71 is a data table that temporarily stores and stores medical image data D3 received from the modality M via the communication unit 40 for each reception channel. The CPU 10 manages the reception channel in software and acquires the address of each modality M in advance when performing data communication with the plurality of modalities M1, M2, M3, M4... Shown in FIG. Are associated with each other.

  That is, as shown in FIG. 4, the modality M1 and the first receiving channel CH1, the modality M2 and the second receiving channel CH2, the modality M3 and the third receiving channel CH3, and the modality M4 and the fourth receiving channel CH4 are associated with each other. The CPU 10 performs processing for individually receiving the medical image data D3 transmitted from each modality M in each reception channel.

  Then, the received medical image data D3 is temporarily stored in the reception waiting list table 71 for each reception channel. Further, as shown in FIG. 4, a time-out determination process P1 to P4, which will be described later, is started for each reception channel, and the elapsed time since the reception of the medical image data D3 in each reception channel is counted. By determining whether or not the time has exceeded the timeout time, it is determined whether or not the medical image data D3 for one examination has been received.

  As a method of providing a plurality of reception channels, the CPU 10 may provide software, and for example, a plurality of reception channels may be physically or logically provided in the communication unit 40 to receive data. It can be changed.

  The imaging waiting list table 72 is a data table for storing the medical image data D3 to be subjected to the above-described imaging, and includes the order information D1 transmitted from the RIS2 and the medical image data D3 transmitted from the modality M. Store cumulatively.

  The CPU 10 groups the medical image data D3 determined to have been received for one examination by the timeout determination processes P1 to P4 out of the medical image data D3 temporarily stored in the reception waiting list table 71, and examines them in groups. The image is stored in the image waiting list table 72. When executing the order display process or the image display process, the order information D1 stored in the waiting list for image detection 72 and the grouped medical image data D3 are read and displayed on the display unit 30.

  The order display process is a process executed when the radiographer confirms the consistency between the order information D1 and the header information D5 included in the medical image data D3. When the order display process is started, the CPU 10 reads out the order information D1 including the same examination information and the header information D5 of the medical image data D3 from the imaging waiting list table 72, and the patient information and the order information D1 have The examination information is matched with the patient information and examination information included in the header information D5, and displayed on the display unit 30. At this time, if the displayed patient information is not consistent with the examination information, the imaging technician operates the input unit 20 and corrects the information appropriately.

  The image display process is a process executed when the imaging technician checks the imaging state of the image data D7 included in the medical image data D3. When the image display device is started, the CPU 10 reads the medical image data D3 from the imaging waiting list table 72, and displays the contents of the header information D5 of the medical image data D3 and the medical image based on the image data D7. 30. When the imaging engineer determines that the displayed medical image does not have an image quality suitable for diagnosis, the imaging engineer operates the input unit 20 to perform gradation (density / contrast) correction processing, rotation / inversion on the image data D7. Let the process do.

  As shown in the example of the data configuration in FIG. 5, the timeout management table 73 is data that stores a reception channel 74 in which the CPU 10 receives medical image data D3 from each modality M, a timeout time 75, and a final reception time 76. It is a table. The timeout time 75 is a time used as a criterion for determining whether or not the medical image data D3 for one examination is received, and is set by the user. The CPU 10 stores the timeout time 75 for each reception channel 74 set by the user's operation of the input unit 20 in the timeout management table 73.

  The last reception time 76 is the time when the medical image data D3 was last received in the associated reception channel 74, and is stored and updated by the CPU 10. Each time the CPU 10 receives the medical image data D3, the CPU 10 updates the last reception time 76 associated with the received reception channel 74 with the current time 62 of the RAM 60. Then, sequentially, the difference between the last reception time 76 and the current time 62, that is, whether or not the elapsed time after receiving the medical image data D3 has exceeded the timeout time 75 associated with the last reception time 76. judge.

  If the CPU 10 determines that the timeout period 75 has been exceeded, the CPU 10 determines that the medical image data D3 for one examination has been received in the reception channel 74 that has been determined to have exceeded the timeout period 75, and the reception waiting list table 71 The medical image data D3 associated with the reception channel 74 stored in the table is stored in the image-waiting list table 72 and deleted from the reception-wait list table 71. In this way, control is performed in which medical image data D3 received from each modality M is grouped and stored by examination unit.

  The medical image data D3 for one examination is stored in the imaging waiting list table 72. However, for example, the medical image data D3 for one series may be grouped and stored. Can be appropriately changed.

[Specific operation of the image inspection device]
Next, a specific operation of the imaging device 1 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. FIG. 6 is a flowchart for explaining the processing contents of the timeout determination process P that the CPU 10 reads and generates a program from the ROM 50. This timeout determination process P is generated for each reception channel like the timeout determination processes P1 to P4 corresponding to the first to fourth reception channels CH1 to CH4 shown in FIG.

  First, the CPU 10 reads the timeout time 75 associated with the reception channel 74 that receives the medical image data D3 from the timeout management table 73 (step S1), and waits for reception of the medical image data D3 received from the reception channel 74. Store in the list table 71 (step S3).

  Then, after storing the current time 62 of the RAM 60 as the last reception time 76 in the timeout management table 73 (step S5), it is determined whether or not new medical image data D3 has been received (step S7). If the CPU 10 determines that the medical image data D3 has been newly received (step S7; Yes), the CPU 10 proceeds to step S5 to store and update the last reception time 76.

  If it is determined that the medical image data D3 is not newly received (step S7; No), the difference time obtained by subtracting the last reception time 76 from the current time 62 is the timeout time 75 read out in step S1. Is determined (step S9). At this time, if it is determined that the time-out period 75 has not been exceeded (step S9; No), the process proceeds to step S7 to determine whether or not new medical image data D3 has been received.

  If it is determined that the timeout time 75 has been exceeded (step S9; Yes), it is determined that the medical image data D3 for one examination has been received (step S11), and the reception has been determined to have exceeded the timeout time 75. The medical image data D3 associated with the channel is rewritten from the reception waiting list table 71 to the image detection waiting list table 72 and updated (step S13).

  For example, when the modality M1 is CT, the timeout time 75 is preset to 5 seconds as shown in FIG. At this time, when the reception interval of the medical image data D3 in the first reception channel CH1 exceeds 5 seconds, it is determined that the transmission of the medical image data D3 for one examination from the modality M1 is completed, The medical image data D3 received so far is stored in the waiting list table 72.

  If the modality M2 is an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, the timeout period 75 is set in advance to 2 minutes as shown in FIG. At this time, when the reception interval of the medical image data D3 on the second reception channel CH2 exceeds 2 minutes, it is determined that the transfer of the medical image data D3 for one examination from the modality M2 is completed, The medical image data D3 received so far is stored in the waiting list table 72.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, when the timeout time 75 is set for each reception channel and the elapsed time after receiving the medical image data D3 in each reception channel exceeds the timeout time 75, the reception channel The received data is stored in the waiting list table 72 as medical image data D3 for one examination. Thereby, since the user can set each timeout time 75 for each modality M, the user can receive the medical image data D3 in accordance with the transmission intervals of data of various modalities M.

  Further, it is possible to prevent medical image data D3 transmitted from different modalities M from being confused and stored. Further, since the medical image data D3 grouped by examination unit is stored in the examination waiting list table 72, the medical image data D3 can be referred to by examination unit, and the examination can be performed quickly. it can.

  In the above-described embodiment, the timeout time 75 is set according to the user's operation of the input unit 20, but may be set according to the header information D5 included in the medical image data D3, for example.

  Specifically, for example, when the type of the modality M included in the header information D5 indicates “CT”, the timeout time 75 is set to 5 seconds, and when the “ultrasound diagnostic apparatus” is indicated, a timeout occurs. Set time 75 to 2 minutes. As a result, the same effects as those of the above-described embodiment can be obtained, and the time-out time 75 according to the type of modality M to be received is set.

  In addition, when the examination information D52 included in the header information D5 indicates “chest”, the timeout information 75 is set to 1 minute, and when “contrast examination” is indicated, the examination information is set to 5 minutes. It is good also as setting according to D52, and the time-out time 75 according to the test | inspection currently performed by modality M can be set.

The block diagram which shows an example of the system configuration | structure of a radiology system. The figure which shows an example of a data structure of medical image data. The block diagram which shows an example of a function structure of an image inspection apparatus. The figure which shows an example of the correspondence of a modality, a receiving channel, and a timeout determination process. The figure which shows an example of a data structure of a timeout management table. The flowchart for demonstrating the specific processing content of a timeout determination process.

Explanation of symbols

M1, M2, M3, M4 Modality 1 Imaging device 10 CPU
20 Input unit 30 Display unit 40 Communication unit 50 ROM
60 RAM
62 current time 70 storage unit 71 reception waiting list table 72 imaging waiting list table 73 timeout management table 74 reception channel 75 timeout time 76 final reception time D3 medical image data P timeout determination process

Claims (4)

A plurality of receiving means for receiving medical image data from a plurality of medical image generating devices;
Setting means for setting a timeout time for each of the plurality of receiving means;
Each of the plurality of receiving means measures time elapsed after receiving the medical image data;
Determining means for determining whether or not each elapsed time for each of the receiving means timed by the time measuring means has exceeded a timeout time set for each of the receiving means by the setting means;
A storage control means for grouping and storing the medical image data received by the receiving means determined to have exceeded the timeout time when the determination means determines that the timeout time has been exceeded;
A medical image processing apparatus comprising: The setting means includes
The medical image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a timeout period input by a user operation is set for each of the plurality of receiving units. The setting means includes
2. The medical image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a timeout time of each of the plurality of receiving units is set based on incidental information included in the medical image data received by the receiving unit. Computer
A plurality of receiving means for receiving medical image data from a plurality of medical image generating devices;
Setting means for setting a timeout time for each of the plurality of receiving means;
Each of the plurality of receiving means measures time elapsed since receiving the medical image data;
Determining means for determining whether or not each elapsed time for each receiving means timed by the time measuring means exceeds a time-out time set for each receiving means by the setting means;
A storage control means for grouping and storing the medical image data received by the receiving means determined to have exceeded the timeout time when the determination means determines that the timeout time has been exceeded;
Program to function as.

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